Pain Meds For Dogs: What Can You Give Your Dogs For Pain Relief?

Not only human beings but dogs can also experience severe pain issues from time to time. If you are a dog owner, you exactly know how much pain your pet feels when suffering from any chronic inflammation, arthritis, major injury or after undergoing any critical surgery. Many of you may have the habit of feeding painkillers for human beings to your dog. But, there are some medicines that are approved by vet doctors, whereas there are a few that can be harmful to your dog. So, this article will help you to understand whether feeding pain medicines to your dog is a safe choice without consulting a veterinarian or not. Also, I will mention some pain meds for dogs that are suitable during the time of an emergency situation.

Which Pain Meds For Dogs Are Safe And Recommended By Most Vet Doctors?

Before knowing the names of medicines that can provide relief to your dog from mild to severe pain issues, you must know its merits and demerits. Hence, first check out if painkillers are safe for your pet or not, especially the ones used for humans and available at your house. So, if you have this question ‘are pain meds for dogs safe?’, follow this section.

Is It Safe To Dispense Human Pain Medicines To Your Dog?

According to pet experts, it’s a big ‘NO’ when you simply select a painkiller from your personal stock or go for over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to give to your dog. It can be extremely dangerous to give medicines like aspirin, Advil or acetaminophen to the dog. There have been various cases when owners have given drugs that caused adverse effects on their dogs instead of helping them. As human and dogs have entirely different body functions, some medicines can actually prove to be quite dangerous to them. So, the next time you find your pet in extreme pain, avoid using your own medication and approach a veterinary expert instead.

What About Feeding NSAIDs To Your Dog?

You may find many pain relief drugs that are available as over-the-counter medicines and fall under the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) category. Some of these include familiar names like ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin, and many more medicines. So, when you give these pain reliefs to your dog, it can produce an enzyme called as cyclooxygenase. This enzyme can increase the number of prostaglandins, which can promote several problems like fever, inflammation and other health issues.

However, if you consult a veterinary expert, they can suggest those NSAID medicines that are actually helpful for your dog. Also, they may prescribe some painkillers that will produce prostaglandins, but for providing relief to your dog. As there are some medicines that help to generate prostaglandins, which ensures that adequate amount of blood travels to your dog’s kidneys. So, it is very important to select the correct pain meds for dogs that can control the intestinal issues, liver or kidney dysfunction, bleeding problems or any other injuries. Also, you must not use NSAIDs meant for humans to treat your dog’s pain or any other physical ailment.

List Of Problems Due To Giving NSAIDs To Your Dog

The owner may unknowingly administer an inappropriate dose of these drugs, which can cause more harm than any benefits on relieving the pain.

There can be a certain breed of dogs that are very sensitive to these NSAIDs used by humans. If not prescribed by any vet, these medicines can lead to dangerous side effects on your dog’s health.

Some of these nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can develop issues like intestinal easiness, diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite and organ dysfunction in dogs.

Is Tylenol Safe For Dogs To Relieve Pain?

For dog owners who are looking for other pain relief measures, it’s again a huge ‘NO’ to give them Tylenol. This is a sort of acetaminophen medicine that does not fall under the NSAID category. However, many pet researchers have conducted various tests on Tylenol and consider it to be a harmful medicine. Especially, when you give your dog the same dose of this drug as suggested for the humans.

According to some veterinary experts, you must keep this drug away from your dog. Remember, even a little overdose of acetaminophen can cause critical damages to the dog’s internal body parts. This includes his or her kidneys, liver, other body tissues and a few nerves also. If you give Tylenol to your dog who already has sensitive issues with drugs, only one tablet can be extremely fatal. Hence, it is recommended not to consider this drug while thinking about using pain medicines for your dog.

Some Excellent Pain Meds For Your Dogs During Emergency

If you can’t see your pet dog in pain and are asking yourself ‘what can I give my dog for pain relief?’, here is a list of medicines that you can opt for. Not all the medicines that you can find over the counter (OTC) are harmful to dogs. However, you must consult a pet expert before giving any of it to your dog. So, there are veterinary professionals who recommend using the aspirin that is formulated especially for the canines. But, you have to ask them the proper dosage details and overall plan for treating your dog’s pain. Now, let’s have a look at these following NSAIDs that are available specifically for the dogs.

Metacam (also known as feloxicam)

Deramaxx ( generic name is deracoxib)

Rimadyl (also known as novox carprofen)

Previcox (sometimes called firocoxib)

There are a few more painkillers that are commonly prescribed by veterinary doctors to treat a dog’s pain. These are as follows:

Gabapentin, to provide your dog relief from pain due to nerve related disorders.

Amantadine, for relieving pain as a result of disk disease, arthritis, and even cancer issues in some dogs.

Tramadol, to treat aging dogs who are suffering from constant pain and other physical ailments.

It is recommended to the dog owners to visit their nearest vet clinic to let them examine your dog and suggest proper pain relief medicines. You must ask them regarding all the above pain meds and confirm its dosage amount for proper treatment.

A Few Natural Pain Meds For Your Dogs

Those who are looking for pain meds for dogs and want to provide relief naturally, check these options.

Supplements Of Omega-3 Fatty Acid

If you include Omega-3 fatty acid supplements in your dog’s meal, it can provide some relief from pain. These products can cure problems like joint inflammation and even chronic pain related to arthritis. Hence, you can choose the supplement that will be rich in Omega 3 and available along with fish oil and Vitamin E ingredients. Omega 3 supplements ensure that it fulfills the requirements of both DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) for your dog. Most of these supplements not only keep the inflammation away but are the best for proper cardiovascular functions and strengthening the dog’s immunity. You can also use these to cure arthritis and dry skin issues, which can be quite painful for your dog.

Joint Supplements For Dogs

You may consult a proper vet dietician and get a prescription for the best joint supplement available for dogs. Sometimes, feeding the correct diet can help to reduce chronic pains and other joint ailments in dogs. You can select the glucosamine supplements that are quite effective for dogs who suffer from DJD (degenerative joint disease). There are products that are exclusively meant for treating hip and joint pains in dogs. So, select the joint supplement that consists of Chondroitin, Hyaluronic Acid, Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids, Vitamin C & E, Glucosamine and other ingredients to reduce joint pain.

Fish Oils Meals & Supplements

If you make it a practice to feed this to your dog, it can cure pain issues and other ailments. Hence, try to feed them food that consists of fish oils and other nutrients to resolve painful diseases. This includes arthritis, inflammation and different allergies. Fish oil also resolves various skin related problems and restores the shine of your dog’s outer skin. It protects the coat and reduces the issue of shedding too much fur in your pet. So, feed your dog food made with fish oils and help them to get relief from painful diseases.

Acupuncture Or Acupressure

This ancient Chinese medical practice not only lengthens the lifespan of your dog but also relieves various pain issues. This technique has long-lasting advantages and beneficial effects on the dogs. Hence, many veterinary experts are suggesting it to the pet owners. So, you can invest in this TCVM (Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine) technique and heal your dog by correcting his/her energy imbalances in the body. In this acupuncture technique, the professional will insert fine needles into specific points in your dog’s body. These acupuncture points connect to various blood vessels and nerves, that exist beneath your dog’s skin. These points connect to meridians that channel the energy within your dog’s body and help to release pains. So, these needles help to improve the blood circulation and can heal your pet from various pains.

Now, there are dogs who have troubles with seeing needles and may not allow the acupuncture treatment. In that case, you can relieve his pain by choosing an alternative technique of acupressure. In this technique, the professional will apply a certain degree pressure to the acupuncture points. Hence, your dog won’t have to tolerate any needle and can be cured with this Chinese remedy.

Pain Relief Massage

There are effective massage therapies and other exercises that can cure pain related problems in dogs. So, first, confirm if your dog is suffering from muscle ache and bone-related pains. Only then, you can look for veterinary professionals who can suggest massage techniques to ease out the pain. This treatment can relax the muscles of your dogs and thereby promote healing quickly.

After reading this article, hopefully, you have now understood which pain medicines and treatments can be given to your dogs when they suffer from various painful chronic diseases. You also came across some natural treatments, supplements and alternative medicines discussed in this article. These methods and medicines can even cure other physical ailments of your dog. However, you must do thorough research regarding all the medicines and techniques discussed here before applying them for relieving your dog’s pain. Otherwise, it is best to approach a certified vet and follow their treatments and dietary instructions to keep your dog healthy and pain-free.

Author

Johnson

Hi, fellow readers! My name is Jonathan. I am a 40-year-old pet enthusiast who has been in love with animals for as long as I can remember. While growing up, I had the fortune and luck of having numerous pets in my countryside home. While fun, thrill, and happiness made up the majority of the time with my pets, there was a difficult part too.With my experience in veterinary sciences, I hope my petcare guidelines will be of significant help to you.